Need mourners? Rent them through UK firm

'Rent-A-Mourner' offers crying people for a fee

Worried not enough people will show up to the funeral you're planning? Call Rent-A-Mourner.

The UK's Ian Robertson rents out professional grievers at about $68 per person for two hours of crying, The Sun reported.

"We are typically invited to help increase visitors to funerals where there may be a low turnout expected. This can usually be a popularity issue or being new to an area, or indeed, the country. We can supply professional, polite, well dressed individuals to attend funerals and wakes," according to the firm's website.

Rent-A-Mourner has a staff of 20 sobbers who are briefed about the life of the deceased, so they can talk to others at the service without sounding like outsiders.

"Our staff will meet with the client beforehand and agree on 'the story,' so our staff will either have known the deceased professionally or socially," Robertson told The Telegraph.

The firm has booked 52 funerals since it began offering services in the UK a year ago.

It's had to turn down 60 more because they were too far away, and plans to expand in the coming months.

Robertson said he got the idea from Asia, where the practice is already popular.

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